I have a question on the use of "have" vs "has" in a sentence. In the sentecne below have appears on the first line "have honored the memory..." Should that be "has" honored the memory..?

Since 1985, the Northeast Kitchen & Bath Association have honored the memory of John J. "Jay" Edward's love and devotion to the Kitchen & Bath industry by rewarding students who selflessly perform acts of service for the good of others.

I would agree with you; Association is singular, therefore the verb should be 'has'. However, there is a difference of opinion, and some people say that 'association' implies a plurality of people, and they use "have".

"Association" belongs to the category of collective nouns. Collective nouns have a dual status: both plural and singular depending on situation. If every single member of the group behaves or acts the same thing or the same way or as ONE SINGLE unit, the collective noun is considered singular. But if the members do different things then it must be plural.

ex. 1a. The jury agrees that the state prosecutors did not provide enough evidence, so its verdict is not guilty. (The jury acts in unison => singular) 2a. The baseball team follows its coach to a faraway field to practice.

but 1b. The jury seem not to believe the key witness therefore they dismiss any negative notion about the defendant's past. 2b. The basketball team play badly today.

Therefore, the verb "have" in the given sentence should be changed to "has" because the Association acts as one single unit. "Since 1985, the Northeast Kitchen & Bath Association has honored the memory of John J. "Jay" Edward's love and devotion to the Kitchen & Bath industry by rewarding students who selflessly perform acts of service for the good of others. "